When will baby be able to sit up?

Find out all you need to know about when your baby will be able to sit up by themselves.

The first few months of your baby's life will be full of changes, learning, and growth. One of the most important and exciting milestones your baby will reach during this time is learning to sit up on their own. This is such an important milestone because it is key for baby's development of other movements such as learning to crawl and learning to walk. What's more, being able to sit up on their own means your baby will get a whole different view of the world, enabling them to interact with and take in much more of the world around them.

When will baby sit up?

Every baby is different so there's no 'set' time that your little one should be mastering the act of sitting up, but most will have developed the neck and back muscles necessary to sit on their own between the age of 4 and 8 months. It is around this time that your baby will have built up the muscles surrounding their head, neck and torso to be able to sit independently, or perhaps with a little help from you.

Signs that might indicate your baby is nearly ready to sit up include your little one trying to hold their head up from either a sitting position in your lap or a lying position. If your baby is making an effort to roll over, or rocking from side to side when lying tummy-down, this is also a good indicator that they are well on their way to sitting up. All these movements will help baby to develop the muscles that will help them sit on their own.

When your baby is around 6 months old they are likely to have developed enough head control to be able to raise their head independently, and may be able to prop themselves up in a sitting position. They might only be able to do this briefly though before rocking forward or to the side, so it's important to be ready with a helping hand and have plenty of cushions around to soften any fall.

Can I help my baby sit up?

You can help your baby towards learning to sit on their own by sitting them in your lap to read a book to them, or just propping them on your knee in a sitting position to talk or sing to them. Make sure though that you are supporting their head while doing this, as they won't have developed the necessary neck muscles yet. This will help them get used to the feeling of sitting up.

When baby is able to sit up without support from you they will have their hands free to investigate the world around them, so be prepared for your baby to grab at anything that comes within their reach! Soon enough after this point your little one will learn to crawl and stand on their own.

If your baby is showing no signs of sitting up, don't despair - you shouldn't have any cause to worry unless baby has reached 8 months or so and is showing no signs of raising their head, or propping themselves up. If this is the case you may want to mention it to your doctor at your next visit.

Remember though that every baby is different and will learn new skills and abilities in their own time - and it's more than likely they'll be sitting up and crawling before you know it.

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i found this helpful, my baby will be turning 6 months in a few weeks time and she is pushing her head up each time i put her in a lying posoition

by Skas

19th Sep 2013, 10:42am

I don't think it's right to be trying to make your baby reach milestone before their time a wee bit of support as they progress at each stage is good for me an my wee dd,some parents seem to want to be able two say o my baby done that way be for such a mt let baby's be baby an enjoy:)))))

By mum of 16 yr old an 5mt old an 1 on way again

by casssidy

20th Jun 2013, 3:01pm

when is the right time to introduce my baby to a walker?

by MaAndy

21st Jun 2011, 5:26pm

My baby was born preterm at 31 weeks on 7 feb 2011,when should I expect him to sit by himself and to intrduce solids food?

by TendIe

15th Jun 2011, 4:22pm

i found this helpful my 15 wk old sits on his own for a few seconds then falls forward or 2 1 side didnt think he shud be doin it so soon so feel reassureed nw

by amyhaworth

6th Jun 2011, 4:24pm

Not really comment but question. do you have to cut out anything on your baby,s tongue to enable her talk well

by Accountant

11th Apr 2011, 9:48am

Jaco - you haven't got a lazy baby. Pls read the article again as it says baby should start trying to sit up between 4 and 8 months. As yours is only 3 you have nothing to worry about :)

by newmumjen

11th Mar 2011, 5:14pm

Goodness me, I must have a lazy one. My baby is 13 weeks and is showing no signs of sitting or even trying to sit up on his own. :(

by ProudMummyToBabyJaco

29th Dec 2010, 9:14am

i found this info very helpful. my baby is ten weeks and making an effort to sit up

by darky

11th Aug 2010, 5:25pm

I found this very helpful. My baby is 14 weeks and is showing signs of sitting up.